Introduction Virtual Transition ● There’s growing interest in the positive impact of choral singing on health and wellness of older adults (Cohen 2006; Johnson et al., 2015, 2018). Singing in a choir is the most popular adult hobby (Grunwald & Chorus America, 2019). ● Radiologic evidence supports widespread, bilateral, cortical and subcortical overlapping neurocorrelates of language and music (Monroe et al. 2020; Tomaino, 2010; Patel, 2010). ● Sociobiological theory supports group singing as a way to increase social connectedness, social bonding, and group resiliency and decrease loneliness (Good et al., 2020; Johnson et al., 2020). ● LPAA values support participation in meaningful activities for living well with aphasia, yet IwA often have limited access to participating in the creative arts (Pound et al., 2000). ● Sustained choir participation may “induce transformative changes in regards to the stigma of disability” (Good et al., 2020). Aphasia Tones Choir was established in 2009 as a Life Participation activity group (LPAA Project Group, 2000) ○ Ability-focused model--participation at every level ○ Performances--Annual concerts and special events ○ Emphasis on musicianship, growth through challenge, aphasia advocacy, and social community In March, 2020, COVID-19 disrupted our once weekly choir rehearsals. The Aphasia Treatment Program quickly transitioned to online communication groups. Audio lag on Zoom was a barrier to choral singing. After observing a Virtual Connections ( www.aphasia.com/virtual-connections-info/ ) singing session, we adapted our choral model to providing access to highly familiar songs to promote upbeat, positive engagement for our members to sing along to while muted. Through a continuous process of problem solving addressing technical challenges, our 90 minute, once a week rehearsals focused on maximizing participation and interaction. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Aphasia Tones Choir Team Members Christy Thies, Cleopatra Degher; Aphasia Access; Laura Cook (https://voicesofaphasia.com/blog/); the SLHS faculty and staff at CSUEB, and the Aphasia Tones Community. Thanks to Aphasia Choirs Go Global for camaraderie and support. References: Raveena Birdee, M.S., Weiyan Zheng, B.A., Meghan Godoy, B.S., Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, M.A. We Won’t Back Down: Keeping the Aphasia Tones Singing During Covid https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HC2-dAVa6PbttjPWkY8DWpan OP1bc49kcnzgduV0yJA/edit?usp=sharing The Show Must Go On! Greetings Physical & Vocal Warm ups Wrap Up Songs 3-5 Conversation Break Songs 1-2 Final Notes ● Aphasia Tones members successfully participated in virtual choir to interact, enjoy music making, and build community. Rehearsals continue to grow and evolve. ● A few members prefer virtual format. Many others express looking forward to the return of on-campus choir. We can agree with Talmage (2020): “It is not choir as we know it, but for now it offers a good enough musical asylum.” Synchronous Singing Choir Engagement Visual Supports ● Call and Response: selecting specific melodic lines/stanzas ● Pacing: follow along with tapping ● Give alternatives to lyrics (oo, ah, ma) ● Select verbal warm-ups that allow for unmuted group vocalizations ● Use of live singer with instrumental track or live guitar ● Conducting strategies (i.e., hand gestures to show pitch, rate, dynamics) ● Mouth shape cues to support members with apraxia ● Provide agenda of rehearsal ● Use of novel stimuli (e.g, hats, choreography, holidays decor) ● Use of lyric powerpoints filled with past performance photos of members to share prior successes ● Supported c onversation breaks with music-related topics ● Personal Goal Examples: ■ Perform a solo ■ Develop deep breathing ■ Memorize lyrics ● Value of a challenge: learn new songs ● Multi-modal member “shout-outs” acknowledging participation ● Members call on peers to encourage solos/duets/trios during a song ● Elicit member feedback to check in and improve future rehearsals. ● Post-session emails with choir links ● Weekly Summertime Themes: ■ Summer; Courage; Blast From the Past; Community ● Signature events: Semester Showcase, Holiday Sing-a-Long ● Keyword writing on separate Zoom tile/whiteboard ● Lyric powerpoint with pictures that support content ● Printed visuals to support comprehension ● Increase multimodal communication (e.g. gestures) Program Evaluation: Member Feedback (n=15) Logistical Questions Psychosocial Questions Whiteboard: 73% rated helpful Improve mood? Average 9.9/10 Chat messages: 33% rated helpful Improve communication? 80% Yes Lyric PowerPoint: 93% rated helpful Improve confidence? 100% Yes Post-session Emails: Average 7/10 Feel connected? Average 8.5/10 Satisfaction with music selection: Average 8.6/10 Preferred format: In-person (53%), Virtual (20%), Both (27%) Tips for Navigating Zoom ● Host controls Mute and Unmute for members ● No headphones while leading songs with karaoke track; Do NOT check “share computer sound” ● Troubleshoot audio prior to rehearsal ● Provide Zoom supports for member training ● Speaker vs. Gallery view ● Review Zoom features at beginning of session Annotated Conversation breaks Solo opportunities during high repetition melodies Embedded instrumental audio Music Selection Examples I Won’t Back Down - Tom Petty Ring of Fire- Johnny Cash Stand by Me- Ben E. King Don’t Stop Believin- Journey Dancing Queen - ABBA Fight Song- Rachel Platten Top of the World- Carpenters One Voice- The Wailin’ Jennys